Earth's Rebirth
by eiahmon
Summary: Sequel to Burning Heart. After sixteen years, Terra finally goes home.


**A/N: Damn this thing took forever. I practically rewrote it five times at least. The only part that never changed was the first part, which, incidentally, is my favorte. Anyway, hope you enjoy. XD**

It was warm, dark, and quiet in his little world. He floated lazily in the warm liquid, occasionally tugging on the strange cord that came out of his belly and ran somewhere out of sight and reach. He didn't know what it was, and truthfully, he didn't care. He heard things sometimes, voices, words, and sometimes he saw things, faces and places, but they meant little to him. He liked the warm and dark and quiet, so he slept and waited, though he didn't know exactly what he was waiting for.

Then things changed. Light, bright light, shone into his dark world, and he felt himself sinking as the liquid slowly ran away. His feet touched something solid, and then his entire body sank to the bottom and landed on that solid thing that was hard and uncomfortable. The liquid went away, and he felt something cold brush across his wet skin. He didn't like the cold or the light, and he tried to get back to his warm, wet darkness, but he felt something, multiple somethings, touching him, and he was pulled away from his little world. Something long and hard and cold was placed in his mouth, and he felt it suck the fluid out, and he wanted to cry, because he wanted his warm, wet world to come back and not go away. He was then turned over onto his stomach, and he felt something under him, holding him up – an arm, part of his mind supplied helpfully – and then something came down hard and there was a stinging pain on his butt. He coughed, sputtered, and then began to cry.

He was turned back over onto his back, and he was laid down on something hard and cold, and he cried for his warm, dark world as he felt the cord from his belly being tugged on. He then heard voices talking as something warm and soft began to rub him down, taking away the last of the liquid. He squired and sobbed, and then another warm and soft thing – a blanket, he remembered – was wrapped around him, and he was picked up and placed in someone's arms and held close against that someone. The someone was warmer and softer than the blanket, and a voice spoke very close to his ear.

"Terra."

He knew the voice, he had heard it faintly while in his dark, wet world, and he knew that he had heard it before that as well. The voice meant safety and comfort, so he snuggled close to the warmth and began to quiet.

"That's right, Terra. Shhhh... hush..." He felt himself being rocked gently, and then the voice spoke again. "How long will he be like this?"

"For a short while at least." said a second voice, and he thought that he knew it as well, but he didn't remember how "Replicas are in this state for a day or two before they start to come out of it, though it may take a few days for them to awaken fully. Since he has his own memories, he may awaken quicker. We'll just have to wait and see. I expect him to start talking within a few days, and I also conditioned his muscles, so when he is ready, he will be able to sit, stand, and walk; he only has to relearn the coordination necessary. Of course, I will need to monitor for him for a few days to make sure he is stable, but once that is completed he will be able to leave." There was a pause, and then: "Do you plan on taking him to Castle Oblivion?"

The arms that held him squeezed for a second, which made him whimper, and the comfort voice spoke. "Yes, that world was his home, so I'm sure that's where he'd like to return to."

A moment's silence, and then the second voice spoke again. "Very well. Now let's get him dressed, fed, and into bed."

The blanket was taken away then, and he whined and began to fuss as the cold air brushed across his skin. He then felt the hands on him again, and though they were gentle, he did not like them, and he began to cry again as they dressed him. He was then wrapped in a blanket again, but he did not stop his crying until he was sat up, and something hard and metal was put in his mouth.

It was a spoon, he realized, and it was full of something warm, creamy, and sweet, and he swallowed the contents without thinking about it. The spoon was then pulled gently out of his mouth, but it was back only a few seconds later, again filled with the creamy liquid. His cries stopped as he was fed, and once his stomach was pleasantly full, he laid his head against the someone's shoulder with a contented sigh. He heard a quiet laugh, and then he felt himself being carried somewhere, and then he was laid down on a soft bed. He whimpered as the warm arms left him, but they were replaced by more warm blankets and soft sheets.

"Goodnight, Terra." the comfort voice said gently, and he finally opened his eyes to see the voice. Above him, he saw a blurred shape – a face, he realized – and it had tanned skin and light hair, but he could see little else in the dim light. Still, despite how poorly he could see, he still knew the face, and he smiled faintly as the person gently smoothed his hair back.

"Xa...v'er..." he gurgled sleepily, and the face smiled.

"That's right, my name is Xavier. Very good, Terra." The face leaned closer, and lips gently kissed him on his forehead. "Go to sleep now."

Terra, that was his name, he remembered, closed his eyes and yawned sleepily. His head rolled to the side on the pillow, and the last thing he was aware of as he fell asleep was Xavier's hand, holding his own in a comforting grip.

**OOOOOO**

Xavier smiled as he looked down at Terra, sleeping peacefully in the middle of the hospital bed. He was curled up like a kitten on his side, with the blankets pulled up to his cheek. Over the quiet hum of the air conditioning, he could hear Terra's soft breathing, and he smiled again.

The sight before him had been a long time in coming. Barely a week after the idea of using a Replica had occurred to him, he had traveled secretly to Radiant Garden and asked Even about it. The scientist had thought about it and then agreed that it was a feasible idea, but they did not have the needed equipment. Once the Nobodies at Castle Oblivion had been destroyed by Sora, Ansem had gone through and destroyed Vexen's lab and killed all but one of the Vexen Replicas. That Replica, which Even would later name Vexen, only survived because he had hidden instead of trying to protect the lab. A year later, with the defeat of the rest of the Organization, he had repeated the procedure in the lab in the Castle That Never Was. So before they could begin, they needed to get the equipment, which took several months to find. Once they had the needed equipment and everything was assembled, they began the actual process of creating a Replica. Since Xavier was in Terra's original body, they used his DNA (Terra's heart would change the hair and eye color once it was in.) and he and Even engaged in a few friendly battles in which Xavier used Terra's keyblade, attacks, and style only, to give Even the needed data. Only then could Even combine the two and get started.

The first Replica died early on in its gestation, when it was still a tiny clump of cells too small to be easily seen. Likely a defect somewhere in the DNA, Even explained. The second also died also fairly early on. The third made it about halfway through before Even had noticed life threatening deformities and had been forced to humanely euthanize it. Finally the fourth Replica made it to its full growth, which took a little over a month, leaving it at roughly age nineteen, the age that Terra had been when Master Xehanort possessed him. Upon Even's confirmation that it was healthy and suffering from no defects, Xavier had used his keyblade to gently extract Terra's heart from his body. The heart had bobbed in front of him for a moment before he shooed it over to its new home, and to him and Even, it seemed that it was almost dancing as it passed through the glass wall of the fluid filled tube and settled into its new home. The body glowed with a soft white light for a moment, and when it faded, the two of them could see the heart within, resting.

Once that was done, the only thing left was to leave Terra alone, undisturbed, for several days to give his memories time to settle into his brain. The heart held memories, but the brain stored and organized them, and they would need time to fall into place before Terra could be born from the tube. Birthing him prematurely would result in a confusing torrent of memories and emotions that would only frighten and upset him.

It had been a long wait, but the results were well worth it, Xavier thought as he gently carded his fingers through Terra's wild brown hair.

Behind him he heard Even walk in, and he turned to face the blond scientist just as he spoke.

"Go to sleep, Xavier." he said quietly "You've been awake for nearly two days now, and you won't do him any good if you collapse." He pointed to a second bed that was close to Terra's "Get some sleep, and if he wakes, I'll let you know."

Xavier nodded in acquiescence, and he kissed Terra on the cheek before he went and climbed into the bed that Even had directed him to. The last thing he saw before he nodded off was Even gently tucking the blankets around Terra and murmuring to him softly.

**OOOOOO**

Terra groaned softly as he woke up. His blue eyes opened a tiny crack, and he looked around the darkened room. He was lying on a bed, tucked securely under the blankets, and in the dim light he could see another person sleeping on a nearby bed, though he couldn't make out who it was. Pushing the blankets and sheet away, he slowly sat up, noting as he did so that it was a little more difficult than it should have been. What had happened to him? Where was he?

"Terra?"

He turned quickly at the sound of his name being spoken, but the motion proved to be his undoing as he lost his balance and fell backwards. His head struck the metal rail that kept him from falling out of bed, and before he even realized that he was doing it, he scrunched his eyes shut and wailed in pain as tears sprang up in his eyes.

He felt someone sit him back up and felt fingers poking through his hair to look at where he'd hit his head. He was then tugged over to the side of the bed and held close to someone. "You're alright, Terra, it was just a little bump. Hush now."

_What is wrong with me? _He wondered as the voice murmured soothingly to him and the arms around him rocked him gently. He'd fallen head over heels down the stairs at the age of twelve and had barely shed a tear, even with the arm that he had broken on the way down, yet he bumps his head and he wails like a baby?

After what seemed like an eternity, he brought his crying to a stop and wiped the tears from his eyes before he opened them to look at the person that was still holding him close. Brown eyes, tanned skin, white hair...

"Xavier?" he said weakly.

The person in question smiled gently at him "Yes, Terra." and Terra felt one of Xavier's hands gently smoothing down his hair.

Terra looked at him, at the face that was so much like his own, for a long moment before his lip began to quiver, and he burst into tears and laid his head on Xavier's shoulder. "You really did it. You really got me out." he said through his tears, and he felt Xavier gently rocking him again.

"Of course. I never wanted to just leave you in there, trapped. You're free now, and as soon as Even says you're well enough, I'll take you home."

Terra felt his heart skip a beat. "Home?"

Xavier nodded. "To Castle Oblivion."

Castle Oblivion, Terra thought, where Aqua and Ven were at. He would see them again, he could stay with them, he would be home.

He closed his eyes and nestled closer to Xavier. _Home... _He sighed contentedly as Xavier rubbed his back soothingly, and then he felt himself being laid back down and tucked back into bed.

"M'not tired." he protested weakly, and Xavier only chuckled.

"Then why are you yawning?"

"I'm not yaaaaaaa-" Terra's sentence was interrupted then by a jaw cracking yawn, and Xavier chuckled again and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders.

"Good night, Terra."

Terra nestled into the pillows and closed his eyes. "G'night, Xavier."

_**OOOOOO**_

"_I was told... the Master was struck down."_

"_What have I done... Master... I just... wanted to keep Ven safe._

"_Yes.. that's right. I was stupid and helped Xehanort do it."_

"_Master... Eraqus..."_

"_But I was tricked. Xehanort set the whole thing up -"_

"_No, you were right. I failed you, Terra. Perhaps I've no one to blame but myself for the darkness inside you. And now, I've done worse – raised my keyblade against you and Ventus."_

"_I went astray, but no more."_

"_Terra, you failed to keep your darkness under control." _

"_What else is darkness, but hatred and rage? You'll go astray again. Tell me, how does that honor our Master's memory, Terra?"_

"_Why do all my attempts to reach you fail?"_

"Terra?"

_I killed Master Eraqus..._

"Wake up, Terra. It's just a nightmare."

_But it all really happened._

He felt someone shaking him, and his name was called again. "Terra!"

_I don't deserve..._

"Terra!"

Terra was startled awake, and he opened his eyes to find himself sitting up in bed with Xavier's arms around him. Terra shook his head and tried to wipe away the tears that he could feel trickling down his face, but Xavier simply pulled him close and held him against his chest. His heartbeat reverberated in Terra's ear, and Terra's chest hitched once, and a sob broke free.

"Shhhhh..." Xavier soothed him and smoothed down his hair as he struggled to keep himself from bursting into tears again. He'd cried enough.

"Xavier?" he finally said after several minutes had passed.

"Hmmm?"

"When Even says I can leave... may I... may I go home with you?"

He felt Xavier start in surprise, and the white haired man looked at him. "Why?"

"Because..." He hesitated; dare he tell Xavier of how he felt too guilty to return home? That he felt that he didn't deserve his happy ending after everything that had happened? That he felt responsible for what Master Xehanort had done?

"Because?" Xavier prompted, one eyebrow raised.

"Because... I'm not ready to see them yet. I can't go home looking like this. I can't walk yet, and you have to carry me to the bathroom, and..." He was silenced when Xavier placed a finger against his lips.

"You're babbling, Terra."

"Please, Xavier, may I go home with you?"

Xavier sighed and ran his fingertips down Terra's hair. "Very well, at least for a little while. Aqua and Ventus are worried about you, Terra, so you have to go home eventually."

"Until I'm better then? Until I can walk and take care of myself?"

"Alright, Terra," Xavier agreed as he carefully laid him back down and pulled the blankets up to his chin "but you have a few days to go before that." Terra closed his eyes as he felt Xavier's hand smooth his hair back. "Go back to sleep now. I'll keep the nightmares away."

_How did he know that?_ Terra wondered as he felt Xavier's hand move down to clasp his own comfortingly. He lightly squeezed back as he relaxed into sleep.

**OOOOOO**

Terra laid still and silent on the bed and Even checked him over one last time. It had been three days since his birth from the tube, and, in his own opinion, he had been doing very well. He couldn't walk yet, but he could sit, feed himself, dress himself with assistance, and his mind and memories were mostly clear. His memories of being trapped in his own body were a bit vague and fuzzy in places, but he remembered everyone that Xehanort/Xavier had met, and he could recall major events.

Finally Even stood up and removed his stethoscope from his ears. "You're doing very well, Terra." he said with a sigh "I think it's time for you to go home." Terra smiled widely, and Even ruffled his hair before looked at Xavier, who was standing on the other side of the bed. "Take him home, Xavier."

Terra smiled again. "Thank you, Even."

"You're welcome, child." To his surprise, Even kissed him lightly on the top of his head before he stepped out of the room, with Vexen following, though the latter sent him a grin and a thumbs up before he disappeared through the door.

Terra looked over at Xavier when the latter spoke. "Ready to go home, Terra?"

"I'm still going home with you, right?"

"You are. So, are you ready?"

Terra nodded eagerly, and Xavier helped him out of his hospital gown and into regular clothes. The latter then produced a Black Coat, and Terra looked at it questioningly as it was put on him.

"We're taking the Corridors of Darkness home," Xavier explained as he put his own coat on "Better be safe than sorry, right?" Terra's response was another smile, and he wrapped his arms around Xavier's neck when the latter picked him up. A second later, the darkness of a portal enveloped them, and when they stepped out of it, they were aside the barn belonging to Xavier's family. Xavier took a moment to hitch Terra up a bit, and then he carried him out from behind the barn towards the house.

Terra looked around eagerly, absorbing all the sights and sounds and smells.

"Hold still, Terra." Xavier admonished "Before I drop you."

Terra settled. "Sorry, but..." He looked around again, at the blue sky, the green grass of the yard, and he felt the breeze on his face as well as the warmth of the sun. He swallowed a sudden lump in his throat as tears burned in his eyes. "But I'm really seeing all this. I'm really feeling all of it. _I'm_ feeling it. I'm seeing it with _my_ own eyes! It's been sixteen years, Xavier!"

Xavier looked at him in understanding as he carried him up the porch steps to the back door. "I understand, Terra, and you'll get to experience so much more soon. I promise." One of Xavier's brothers, Yuta, Terra thought, opened the door then, and he was carried inside the house, where the rest of the family waited.

**OOOOOO**

Over the next several days, Xavier watched Terra closely as the latter gained in strength. Seven days after his birth and four days after his arrival in Haven's Bridge, Terra took his first steps. He walked a short distance to Isa, who had come by to gather leftover wax from the family's candles, and fell into his arms while Isa quietly laughed.

Isa and Lea had indeed stayed in Haven's Bridge, and the two of them took over the candle making business of a local that had died during the world's destruction when his house collapsed on top of him. The two shared a small house just outside of town, maintained a bee farm, and bought tallow from the local cattle ranchers. Xavier remembered well Saïx's horrendous treatment of Xion, and part of him had feared that Isa would treat Terra the same way, but the younger man did nothing of the sort. Instead he only steadied Terra, turned him around, and sent him toddling back towards Xavier.

After a few more days, Terra was walking all over the house and farm, though he made no noises about wanting to return home. Xavier had his suspicions as to why, and part of him wanted to confront Terra about it and get it out in the open, but he instead just opted to let him sort it out on his own.

Several more days passed, and not once did Terra say anything about going home, even as he helped out around the house and farm where he could. He seemed to be in good cheer as he went about his days, but Xavier noticed that the cheer seldom reached his eyes. He didn't summon his keyblade or use any of the magic that Xavier knew he knew either. It was the disuse of his keyblade, more than anything else, that let Xavier know what was going on, and he realized that he couldn't keep silent any longer.

That night, as he checked on Terra after the latter was in bed, he sat down on the mattress and spent a moment gathering his thoughts while the brunette looked at him in confusion.

"Terra, would you like to go home tomorrow?" he asked after a few moments, and even in the dark room, he couldn't miss the brief look that appeared in Terra's eyes then.

Fear, guilt, grief, and anger all flashed into being for a split second before they vanished as if they had never been there, and Terra only shook his head and rolled over onto his other side away from Xavier. "I'm not ready." he said quietly.

"You can walk, and you can feed, bathe, and dress yourself. You're ready. Now do you want to tell me the real reason you don't want to go home?"

"Trying to get rid of me?"

"Nothing of the sort, actually, and don't evade my question. Why don't you want to go home? Is it because you blame yourself for Master Xehanort's actions?"

Terra looked over his shoulder at him for a moment before he looked away. "And what if I do?"

"Hiding out here will not make that go away, Terra."

"And how would you know? I know you don't feel a shred of guilt for what happened."

"Because I know that none of it was my fault. I was in no more control of myself than you were."

Terra abruptly sat up in bed, eyes flashing. "What do you know! I was in control of myself! I jumped through his hoops like a good little boy, never noticing that he was leading me down the path to my own destruction!_ I_ drew my darkness out! _I_ stole a princess's heart! _I_ killed... I killed..." Terra began to shake and tears pooled in his eyes. "I killed Master Eraqus. I let Master Xehanort possess me. It's my fault. All my fault!" Xavier drew Terra to him and wrapped his arms around him as the latter began to cry.

"It's not your fault, Terra." he said softly as he held him and rubbed his back "You were young and had just suffered a large disappointment, and you trusted someone that betrayed that trust. You had no reason to doubt Master Xehanort's intentions. You were doing what you had been told by your Master, and if memory serves me right, that thrice damned sorceress is the one that stole that princess's heart. She was controlling you, Terra. Do you understand? That was _her_ action, not yours. And finally, Master Xehanort killed Eraqus. Yes, you fought him, but you stopped once you realized what you were doing. You were just trying to protect Ventus, and you should never regret what you do to protect yourself or others."

"But I -"

"No, Terra. There is nothing you could have done to stop Master Xehanort from possessing you like he did. He was too powerful, and yet you were able to force him to lock you both away, which is an amazing achievement in of itself. You did what you could, Terra, which is more than anyone could ask of you. It is not your fault." Terra said nothing more after that. He only cried as Xavier soothed him, and after a while he cried himself to sleep.

Xavier gently laid him down and covered him with the quilt and spent a few moments quietly watching him sleep.

"I wish I could make it all go away, Terra." he said quietly "I wish I could reset time to before everything went wrong. I wish I could prevent Master Xehanort from going down the path he did. I wish for so many things, but despite all the magic I can do, turning back time is beyond me." He reached out and gently brushed Terra's hair out of his face. "If you can hear me from in there, Eraqus, please do something. Terra needs you now more than ever, and he will listen to you before he listens to me. Please, help him."

Terra stirred. "I will, Xavier." he mumbled sleepily, but the voice was not his, and he settled back down before Xavier could say anything in response.

**OOOOOO**

Birds were chirping.

Terra sighed as they encroached on his sleep, waking him. And so began another day of hiding in Haven's Bridge, another day of hoping that Xavier wouldn't drag him through a portal to Castle Oblivion, another day of trying to ignore the guilt and regret that filled his heart. He stretched languidly and smiled slightly at the warmth of the sunlight shining down on his face.

… sunlight?

He opened his eyes and sat up to see that he was not in his room in Xavier's parents' house, but on the green just aside the training ground at home.

_His _home.

Leaping to his feet, he felt his mouth fall open in shock as he drank in the familiar sights of the Land of Departure around him: the green hills, the sparkling rivers, the clear, blue sky, and the beautiful castle with the multiple towers that was anchored to the nearby mountains by the large golden chains. How did he get here? Did Xavier throw him through a portal in his sleep? But, how could this be? Master Xehanort had destroyed the Land of Departure!

"Terra!"

Terra jumped in surprise at the sound of his name being called and turned around to see a very familiar figure walking towards him.

"Master Eraqus," he whispered as tears burned in his eyes and the only father figure he could remember knelt down in front of him. With a choked sob, he threw himself into his master's arms, as he vaguely noted that he was much smaller than he should have been. He heard Master Eraqus chuckle warmly, and the man's arms came around him and held him like they had so many times during his childhood. Terra cried as he clung to his master's robe, and after a long moment, he felt Master Eraqus' arms loosen and let go, and he was gently pushed back.

Terra wiped his tears away as Master Eraqus gently placed his hands on his shoulders and looked directly into his eyes.

"Terra," he said gently, firmly "It is time for you to return home."

"But Master, I -"

Master Eraqus softly placed a finger against Terra's lips, silencing him. "No, Terra, it is time for you to go. Aqua and Ventus are worried about you, and you've kept them waiting long enough."

Terra shivered and looked away. "How can I, Master? Everything that happened, it's all my fault." A hand on his chin made him look back.

"No, Terra, it is not your fault. Xavier is right. There is nothing that you could have done to prevent what happened. It it is anyone's fault, it is mine." Master Eraqus sighed heavily. "I should not have trusted Master Xehanort, and I should have realized that he had sabotaged your Mark of Mastery exam. I should have refused to allow him to watch. I should have cut off all contact with him after he attacked me, but, foolishly, I did not. Master Xehanort is to blame for his actions, but I am also to blame because I enabled him. I could have stopped his schemes early on, but I did not. I was foolish, and you, Ventus, Aqua, and so many others paid the price."

Terra lowered his head as he began to cry again. "Master Eraqus, don't say such things."

"It is the truth, Terra. Everything that Xavier told you is the absolute truth. You followed Master Xehanort because you had no reason to believe that he was lying to you, and because I told you to go after him. You were only doing what you had been told. You were only trying to protect Ventus when you challenged me, and you did not kill me, Master Xehanort did. You could not stop him from taking over your body, but you were nearly able to force him out, which forced him to lock you both away." Master Eraqus wrapped his arms around him and held him close. "You did your very best, and if I could, I would award you the title of Master for it. Words cannot express how proud of you I am and how much I love you. It is not your fault, Terra."

Terra buried his face in his master's robes and sobbed as relief flooded his heart, washing out all o the guilt, regret, and fear that was there. Master Eraqus had only repeated what Xavier had already told him, but hearing those words from the man that had raised him, from the only father he could remember, made them believable, made them _real_. Master Eraqus rocked him and murmured soothingly to him like he had when Terra was a small boy frightened by the wind groaning outside the castle, and after a long while, when Terra was able to calm himself, he gently pushed him away again.

"When you wake up in the morning," the keyblade master said firmly "I want you to go to Xavier and ask him to take you home. Do you understand me, Terra? It is time for you to stop hiding."

Terra nodded as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Yes, Master Eraqus."

Master Eraqus graced him with a rare smile, and he affectionately stroked Terra's hair. "I love you, Terra. You were every bit as much of a son to me as if I had fathered you myself. Xavier also cares a great deal for you, and he knows that if you hadn't fought back against the possession, he would not exist. If you need him, he will be there."

"What about you, Master Eraqus?"

"I will remain here." He lightly tapped Terra's chest, above his heart. "I too will always be there if you need me."

"But, don't you want to be free of me? Like I am of Xavier?"

Master Eraqus smiled again, which had to set some kind of record, because the man never smiled twice in the same day, much less in the same conversation. "I am fine where I am at, Terra. I have no need of a physical body any longer. Years from now, when you leave this existence for the next one, I will be freed from your heart, and we will go on together."

Terra leaned into Master Eraqus' embrace, and the man hugged him tightly one last time. Terra inhaled deeply, savoring the feel of his master's warm arms around around him and the scent of the incense he used for meditating, but those senses began to fade, as if he was falling asleep, and then they vanished entirely.

**OOOOOO**

Terra opened his eyes to see the ceiling above his bed in his room in the farmhouse belonging to Xavier's parents. The windows were open, and he could hear the cattle lowing in the field, the whinnying of the horses as they grazed, and the sound of someone – Jachin, he thought - singing as he worked. The room was warm and bright with sunlight, and he quickly got up, made his bed, dressed himself, and went downstairs.

He wasn't surprised to find Xavier seated at the table, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. He also wasn't surprised to see that he was wearing his Organization coat.

"Xavier," he said hesitantly, and the recently titled master physician looked up at him "I'm ready."

Xavier gave him a warm smile and stood up from the table. "I'm taking Terra home, Mama." he said to his mother, who was in the kitchen "I'll be back tonight."

"Wait," Elissa called out "Before you go..." She bustled about in the kitchen for a moment, before she came out and pushed a piece of her rich chocolate cake, wrapped in paper, into Terra's hands. She then kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You're welcome here anytime, Terra."

Terra ducked his head as a blush spread across his cheeks. "Thanks."

Xavier chuckled, and a black coat was thrown around Terra's shoulders before he was pulled against the man's body as the darkness of a portal enveloped them. When they stepped out, Terra couldn't stop the gasp that slipped out.

There were on the terrace at the base of the stairs that led to the castle entrance. The terrace was whole, not sheared in two like it had been after its destruction, and the castle, oh the castle... He noted that even Xavier was shocked as they looked up at the castle, still showing signs of the severe damage that it had suffered, but standing proud and whole.

"This must be Aqua's doing." Xavier whispered "As Eraqus' heir and successor, she would have been told how to shape the land to her liking. She must have changed it back after I came through."

Terra nodded silently, too busy drinking in the long missed sight of his home, when a voice fell on his ears.

"Terra!" He looked at the entrance stairs to see a familiar blond figure running down them. The person had grown some, and the clothes were different, but he still easily recognized who it was.

"Ven!" The black coat fell to the ground as he ran across the terrace, and he met Ventus at the bottom of the steps, and the smaller boy tackled him to the ground.

"Terra, you're back!" Ven cheered, grinning fit to split his face in two "You're home! You're finally home!"

"Yeah," Terra said quietly, and as a smile slowly appeared "Yeah, I am." He sat up and gave Ven an affectionate knuckle rub on the top of his head, grinning as wide as the younger had been a moment before.

"Hey!" Ventus protested and tackled him again, and it was like Terra had never left as the two wrestled right there on the terrace, ignoring everything around them. The two tussled for a few minutes, before Ventus began to jabber on excitedly about everything that had happened while Terra had been gone. Terra only smiled and nodded and listened to his adopted little brother's voice; he had missed it so much.

After a bit, he heard Xavier clear his throat from somewhere behind him, and then: "Really you two, your situational awareness is appalling. Aqua has been standing here for a few minutes already, and neither one of you have noticed."

Terra whipped his head around so quickly that his neck popped in protest. "Aqua!" He then scrambled to his feet and ran to her, and she held out her arms to him. He threw his arms around her and buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply of her scent. He then felt her arms wrap around him and hold him tight, and he never wanted to let her go.

"Welcome home, Terra." she said softly, and he squeezed her tighter.

"Can you forgive me, Aqua?" he asked quietly, hesitantly, fearful of her answer. He didn't know what he would do if she said no.

"I forgave you a long time ago, Terra. Now it's time to forgive yourself." She smiled at him as a tear tracked down her face. "It's time to come home." She reached up and gently wiped away a few tears off of his face and smiled at him again.

He laughed lightly, even as he wanted to sag with relief, and she stepped back and began to lead him up the stairs, with Ven walking on his other side. He looked over his shoulder to see Xavier standing on the terrace and watching then with a small smile. Their eyes met, and Xavier's smile widened before he nodded once and vanished into a portal, and Terra turned back to the castle as they reached the top of the steps. The massive front doors opened and, without hesitation, Terra walked inside, flanked by Aqua and Vetnus.

Finally, he was home.


End file.
